Pearl Balls (Zhēnzhū Wánzi)
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5.0
9 reviews
Excellent
Pearl Balls (Zhēnzhū Wánzi)
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A different style of dumplings, Pearl Balls are steamed morsels that don't use wrappers but instead feature a coating of sticky rice around the exterior. They are impressive, and truly an excellent addition to a dim sum menu. You can easily make them gluten-free as well!
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Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 grams) sticky/sweet/glutinous rice, long or short grain variety soaked overnight in cold water (cover by 2 inches)
- 1 pound (450 grams) ground pork, chicken, or turkey
- 3 tablespoons (20 grams) finely diced water chestnuts
- 2 tablespoons (10 grams) finely chopped scallions
- 1 ½ tablespoons (10 grams) minced fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) light (regular) soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) Shaoxing rice wine, sake, or dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon (8 grams) cornstarch
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) salt
- a few grinds of black pepper
Instructions
- Drain the soaked rice and dry the grains well, spreading them out on a sheet pan and patting dry with a paper towel. Drier grains adhere to the meat mixture better.
- Combine the ground meat, water chestnuts, scallions, ginger, soy sauce, rice wine, cornstarch, egg, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl until well blended. Divide the mixture into 24 meatballs, lightly wetting the palms of your hands with water to help shape them (the mixture will be wet and sticky). Refrigerate for 20 minutes to firm up.
- Roll the meatballs in the soaked rice, ensuring each meatball is covered in rice grains.
- Prepare bamboo steamer trays by lining with lightly oiled parchment paper. Ideally, three 9-inch steamer trays will comfortably hold all 24 balls (8 per tray). If you don’t have enough trays, you can steam them in batches.
- Place the pearl balls on the steamer tray, spacing them about 1 inch apart so they are not touching. Stack the trays carefully and cover with a lid. Place the steamer over boiling water, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Steam for 15 to 20 minutes until the rice grains are cooked through.
- Serve with soy dipping sauce, if desired. Refrigerate leftover dumplings, return them to room temperature, and steam them for about 5 minutes to reheat.
Notes
- I like to put the rice in a container with tall sides and gently shake the bowl around to help coat each meatball with rice.
- If you use tamari or another gluten-free soy sauce, this entire dish will be gluten-free!
- Use dark meat for the ground poultry options, although pork is preferable overall, and generally has the best flavor.
- Adapted from Dumplings All Day Wong
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
1ball
Calories
59kcal
(3%)
Carbohydrates
2g
(1%)
Protein
4g
(8%)
Fat
4g
(6%)
Saturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Cholesterol
21mg
(7%)
Sodium
131mg
(5%)
Potassium
6mg
(0%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 24balls
Amount Per Serving
Calories 59 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1ball | |
| Calories | 59kcal | 3% |
| Carbohydrates | 2g | 1% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 4g | 6% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 21mg | 7% |
| Sodium | 131mg | 5% |
| Potassium | 6mg | 0% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
9 reviews
Excellent
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